In the tech space, one year is a long time — companies emerge, they get acquired, they pivot, they close shop. New gadgets are released to replace yesterday's cutting-edge devices, and startups dream up gizmos and apps we never knew we wanted or needed til we laid our hands on them.

At Mashable, we're embedded in the digital and tech sphere all day, every day. So we thought it appropriate to step back and admire some of the best innovations of the past year. To that end, we'd like to introduce you to the Innovation Index 2012.

The Innovation Index

Mashable's Innovation Index celebrates recent tech, digital and social innovations that have redefined your world. It is comprised of 15 categories, each of which is curated by an expert Mashable selected because of their work in the space. Each curator will select five nominees — companies, products, events or technologies — that are pushing the boundaries in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Once we announce the five nominees, we're looking to you, the Mashable community, to cast your vote for your favorites, the things that have truly changed your world.

The Community Curator

You might notice that there are only 14 categories and curators above. That's because the 15th curator is up for grabs. We want you, the Mashable community, to check out the 14 categories and let us know what you think we missed. You're just as passionate about digital as we are, and while you ultimately choose the winners via votes, we want you to have an even bigger stake in this new program.

If you're an expert in a field that you feel has been overlooked, you can apply here to be our 15th Innovation Index Curator. The winner of this contest will be announced on November 26, the same day we're announcing all 15 curators' picks. Then, we'll open up voting to the Mashable community until December 10. So while we picked experts to narrow down the field, the Mashable community gets to pick the Innovation Index winners, which we'll announce on December 10.

Mashable
is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company. Powered by its own proprietary technology, Mashable is the go-to source for tech, digital culture and entertainment content for its dedicated and influential audience around the globe.